Originations

A Billings, Montana-based First Interstate Bank agreed to a five-figure penalty to resolve charges it engaged in National Flood Insurance Act violations.

But the purchase business that brings in three times the fee size as refinancings will be the driver of the improvement for the publicly traded title underwriters.

Risks include pushing debt-to-income ratios too high for qualifying and rising costs leading to defaults, all of which affect the secondary markets.

One California insurer received an approved rate change for 56.4%, an increase affecting over 17,000 borrowers.

New insurance written in the second quarter was only 2% lower year-over-year, the smallest drop in nearly three years.

In the three years since the Surfside condo collapse, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have made policy changes intended to address safety concerns.

Lenders need to look at both data and algorithms to avoid inadvertent redlining complaints, not just in decision making but customer contact too.

At the same time, market share among a trio of the mortgage insurers shifted, data compiled by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods found.

The Biden Administration's title waiver pilot has started a broader discussion on whether the product is worth the money paid or even needed at all and can be replaced by an alternative.

Unintended consequences of shifting the burden for title insurance to the lender could end up harming consumers, several observers said.